Lettuce: More Than Just A Leaf

What’s for lunch? If you’re trying to slim down or are looking for a heart-healthy meal, a hearty salad might just be the answer. Underneath the frill and the fuss of all the various salad toppings – crisp vegetables, tart citrus fruits, grilled meats, crispy bacon, toasted nuts, and any variety of cheeses – is the humble lettuce leaf. What some people might dismiss as a “filler” food is really a nutritional powerhouse. At only 10 calories per cup and packed with essential nutrients, why not consider lettuce in your next meal?

Lettuce 101

The history of lettuce dates back thousands of years, but it’s not until recently that individuals have begun consuming so much of it. Worldwide availability has made lettuce and other leafy greens a staple in numerous cultures across the globe. In fact, it’s estimated that adults now consume about 30 pounds of lettuce each year. Why is lettuce so popular? Well, it may be the fact that research has shown that eating salads before meals helps you eat 100 fewer calories by the end of the meal.

There are four basic categories of lettuce: iceberg, loose leaf, butter and romaine. Iceberg lettuce has, for many years, been the lettuce of choice in most households, despite its relatively low nutritional content. Fans of iceberg love it for its crunch and cool, crisp flavor. Loose leaf lettuce actually covers a variety of lettuce leaves and is defined as lettuce leaves that don’t form heads as they grow. Loose leaf lettuce is a great plant for home-growers as the leaves can be frequently picked without halting the growth of the rest of the plant. Butter lettuce, including Bibb and Boston lettuces, are mild green on the outer leaves, yellow-green on the inside, and have a soft, velvety or “buttery” texture. Finally, romaine lettuce – the lettuce of Caesar salad lovers – is crisp and cool, with a stronger flavor than other lettuces, but not at all bitter.

Selection, Storage & Cooking

When selecting lettuce at your grocery store or farmer’s market, keep in mind the type of dish you’ll be using it for. Caesar salads are best with romaine, while the popular wedge salad is best served with iceberg. If you’re looking for fluffy greens, choose a loose leaf lettuce, such as green leaf or red leaf. If its lettuce wraps you’re making, try either a butter lettuce for its smaller, rounded leaves, or iceberg for a crisp crunch and well-shaped holder.

Once you’ve decided on your lettuce, look for vibrant colors and signs of freshness. Avoid lettuce that is limp, wilted, slimy or that smells bitter or sour. Once home, lettuce should be used within three to four days of purchase. Do not store lettuce near ethylene-producing fruits, like apples or bananas, to avoid rapid decay.

Be sure to wash your lettuce well before use. Cut off the stem to loosen the leaves and then wash well to remove any dirt or grime that may be hidden between leaves, especially near the stem. For best taste, lettuce leaves should be dried well before tearing or cutting. Salad spinners are relatively inexpensive and work best to remove the most water with the least fuss. Once dried, the best method for chopping lettuce into bite-sized pieces is to actually tear the leaves. This will help reduce browning around the edges and keep the lettuce fresher, longer. However, some specialty salads, like chopped salads, are in fact better when cut with a knife – just use a stainless steel knife instead of carbon steel to avoid blackening the edges.

For a great lettuce recipe, check out our recipes section, or try your hand at our Baby Greens with Salmon, Peas and New Potatoes in a Mustard Vinaigrette recipe.

Nutritional Benefits

If the king of lettuce in your household is iceberg lettuce, it’s time you put a little more thought into your leafy selection. While iceberg isn’t totally void of nutrition – it does offer 31 mg (8% RDA) of folate per cup – it is by far the least nutrition of the bunch. If it’s the crispy, crunch of iceberg that you crave, try Romaine lettuce. It’s got that same crunch factor, but is packed with way more nutrition – 13 mg vitamin C (22% RDA), 1 mg iron (10% RDA), 0.1 mg thiamin (8-9% RDA), 0.1 mg riboflavin (7-8% RDA), 76 mcg folate (19% RDA), and 1,456 IUs of vitamin A (29-36% RDA). Not ready to jump ship yet?

Try mixing different types of greens into your iceberg-based salads, and the transition will be much easier. Just remember, the darker the leaf, the more nutrition it packs.

Nutritional Benefits

- 1 cup loose leaf lettuce -

Calories

10

Fat

0g

Carbohydrates

1g carb

Protein

1g

Nutrient RDAs

1mg iron

10%

148mg potassium

16%*

1,064 IU vitamin A

21%

10mg vitamin C

16%

28mcg folate

7%

*There is no RDA for potassium, but you need about 2,000-3,000mg/day

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